Dem Rep to constituents on HHS mandate: “Basically, we’re not looking to the Constitution”

posted at 3:05 pm on February 27, 2012 by Ed Morrissey

This moment in constitutional cluelessness comes to us from the same townhall meeting Rep. Kathy Hochul held with her NY-26 constituents that we featured on Saturday. The local media missed this moment in their report, however, and it was even more telling than the chorus of boos that greeted Hochul when she attempted to defend the HHS mandate on contraception, sterilization, and abortifacients. When challenged by a reader of Freedom’s Lighthouse on the constitutionality of the mandate, Hochul’s response was rather telling:

“Well, basically, we’re not looking to the Constitution on that aspect of it.”

Hochul tried arguing that Congress has decided that people should get access to free health care and that’s the end of that question as far as Hochul is concerned, but clearly it wasn’t with this crowd. As another constituent reminded Hochul, the First Amendment takes precedence over Congress. In fact, the First Amendment explicitly states that it takes precedence over Congress: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof[.]” Hochul then tries to claim that she’s defending freedom of religion by, er, telling Catholic organizations that they’re not actually religious organizations any more.

Be sure to watch to the end, or you’ll miss this exchange, too:

Q: So why don’t we provide free access to Band-Aids and cancer screenings? Why is it contraception? Aren’t those more important to health care than contraception? [Applause]

HOCHUL: Well, clearly more work needs to be done … [laughter]

Yes, because clearly Democrats want to mandate that everything be provided for free, funded only by unicorn emissions and fresh crops off the money trees. They’re just starting with contraception. As far as that pesky Constitution goes, I think that the new Democratic Party slogan of “We Don’t Look to the Constitution” spells out their choice beautifully — and 72% of Americans already agree that it describes ObamaCare perfectly.

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